Dan Conway, CEO of the UK Publishers Association, has spoken out strongly in opposition to the Government’s proposals regarding Artificial Intelligence and copyright. Conway, along with most of the UK publishing industry, is opposed to the Government’s ‘opt out or you are automatically in’ approach under which writers’ material can be used to train large language AI models unless writers specifically say no, saying “the great copyright heist cannot go unchallenged”.
He adds: “The extraordinary strength of support shown in recent weeks for copyright and our world-class creative industries is something the Government ignores at its peril. When Booker, Grammy, Oscar, and Nobel prize winners are united in calling on the Government for a fair hearing, we have to hope they listen.
“Publishing is a growth industry supporting tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs nationwide. We already contribute £11 billion to the UK economy and are central to creative industries growth and UK research and development and are early adopters of AI technology to equip the readers and learners of the future.
“The message to government is clear: the great copyright heist cannot go unchallenged. Big Tech needs to pay for the creative and research content they hoover up to train AI, just as they pay for their electricity and other normal costs of running a legally compliant business. We urgently need transparency regulations to lift the lid on AI usage to ensure that the huge opportunities that AI can bring are realised in a way that incentivises growth across the whole economy and is safe and ethical for those who use it.
“The UK is a content superpower and its creative industries, educational institutions, and academic research is the envy of the world. Establishing fair trading practices and encouraging partnership with – rather than subservience to – Big Tech is the way we lift all the boats and deliver for the UK.”